For the upcoming high-luminosity Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the endcap calorimeters of the CMS detector will be replaced by the high granularity calorimeter (HGCAL), one of the most ambitious detector projects undertaken. HGCAL will allow measurements with unprecedented precision at CMS, while facing an average of 200 simultaneous proton-proton collisions every 25 ns, in the harsh radiation environment of the High-Luminosity LHC.

At IPE, we mainly work on the data readout challenge: Due to the extremely high number of readout and trigger channels HGCAL requires a high-performance FPGA-based readout system. This readout system is an elaborate chain of electronics from the particle detector modules in the front end until FPGA readout cards that process the data stream. We are building a prototype of the HGCAL readout chain, we take part in the development and testing of the detector modules, and we are taking a major role in the development of the FPGA-based readout cards.

Our young, growing team works at the intersection of physics, electrical engineering, and computer science, collaborating closely with groups at DESY (Hamburg), CERN (Geneva), and Imperial College London.

We are always happy to receive active support from students, and we have exciting opportunities for bachelor's and master's theses as well as HiWi projects.

We are looking for technologiaclly interested students who enjoy working in a vibrant and international collaboration. Depending on your field of study and your interests, we can offer projects in physics, electrical engineering or computer science. You will need to bring a good working knowledge of a programming language (e.g. Python) and good communication skills, including fluent English. Depending on the exact topic, experience with electronics, firmware or particle detectors will be beneficial.

Kontaktperson:  Fabian Hummer, fabian.hummer@kit.edu